The Pen is Mightier than Iron
by Sqydd
Summary: Prompts from Gajevy Week on Tumblr.
1. Index

✿ FEB 14th ~ 20th

Matching

Longing

Pillow Talk

Trouble Twins

First Date

Grief

Marriage/Living Together

✿ BONUS JAN 31st

Alternate Universe/AU


	2. Inscribe

**Inscribe**

Jan 31st BONUS — "AU"

* * *

"Oi, Shrimp, where's the smithy?"

Levy felt a vein throb in her forehead but kept her cool, keeping her hands on the sword she was currently inspecting, and taking a moment until she responded: "You mean the Scribe?"

"Yeah, that, whatever. The blacksmith told me that I had to come here to get magic spells sown or whatever into my sword." She finally had to look up at her assailant. He was tall—well, that didn't put him in the right for calling her "Shrimp," but she could see where he was coming from—with unruly black hair pinned back from his sharp face and clothed in an armored top with normal trousers and leather knee boots beneath. A large iron sword rested on his shoulder as he raised one pierced eyebrow at her. "Well? Am I in the right place?"

"This is the Scribe's, yes," she answered with a sigh, setting the sword down on a table with a few others as she jotted her observations down in her notebook. _Old but lightly used; weak constitution; head hunting / VERDICT — ADM; PST; LLG; SLS._ "And enchanting a sword is more complicated than that."

"Yeah, well, I need this done by tomorrow. Can ya make it happen?" He shifted his shoulder and let the sword drop, point down, into the cement. It was half his height and broad in frame, durable, like him. "I gotta take it to battle in the morn."

"Usually, these scripts will take two or three days. You're just giving me less than fourteen hours." He shrugged a shoulder and she pouted.

"Should be leavin' it to yer old man then, Shrimp," he said passively. Her face reddened as she stomped up to him and jabbed a finger in his admittedly hard sternum.

"There's no _old man_ — _I'm_ the Scripter here, so you give me respect, okay? And— And stop calling me shrimp!" she wailed. A smirk that he couldn't quite contain curved his mouth, then he chuckled.

"Got it, Scripter," he said drolly. "So, ya think ya can do it?"

"Depends," she held, relenting now that he'd eased up. "What kind of opponents are you going up against?"

With a completely straight face, he pointed at his sword and said, "Dragons."

She blinked twice and pushed her loose blue curls from her ears.

"I'm sorry?"

"Dragons," he repeated in the same tone. "I'm a Dragon Slayer, and…let's say _Iron_ Dragon Slayer." He rapped the heavy sword with his knuckles for emphasis. "So I'll need somethin' tough, preferably fireproof, and hard enough to withstand dragon talons."

"You're kidding!" she exclaimed. "You go out and _fight_ dragons?" She had never seen one personally, but all her books described them as monstrous beasts able to breathe magic like air and impossible to beat.

"Not just me," he grunted. "Me and this hotheaded moron, Dragneel." Levy decided to ignore the weird name for the sake of their current topic.

"How does that work?"

"I'd love to sit and tell ya, really, but I have places to be. So?" She remembered his sword and gave it a quick once-over.

"Well… I suppose," she finally decided. He grinned and had the audacity to drop a hand on her hair and ruffle it.

"Thanks a lot, Shrimp. Yer really savin' me here." She reddened heatedly at the contact and swatted his hand away.

"Stop it!" She pulled away and snatched the sword as she went, bending a little at the weight before heaving it onto her work table with a loud clang. "For the last time, I'm not a shrimp! My name is Levy!"

"Well then, _Levy_ , thank you for your services," he said with an exaggerated bow. "And that's comin' from Gajeel Redfox himself." He drew a small leather pouch from inside his armor and set it on her table. "Eight hundred J is a good startin' fee?"

"Just," she replied. "If you'll let me do my work properly, it should be ready by noon."

"Noon?" he repeated with a scowl. "Told ya, Shr—Levy, that I need it done by dawn."

"And _I'm_ telling you it can't be done!" she refuted, glaring up at him. "You should be lucky you're getting it tomorrow at all, _Mr._ Redfox." He made a show of arching his neck down to look her in the eyes, trying and failing not to smile. "It's not like you're on a timed schedule to fight dragons, are you?"

"Not exactly," he supposed, "but they don't jus' go poppin' up whenever they damn please. The next one's passin' over Magnolia jus' after sunrise, and if we don't catch it, it'll wreck the city."

"I think that if that was true, everyone would know." He snorted.

"If everyone knew a giant fire-breathin' beast was goin' over the town, they'd panic and blow their tops." That, she could agree with, and consequently relented—but just a little. "So we're plannin' on catchin' it in the forest before it even gets close. I'm the best Slayer around—damn what Dragneel says—but even I can't take on one of those things without a weapon, and this Karma Sword's taken me through hell and back." He gazed at the sword fondly and she had to smile a little at his expression. "So?"

"Well… The answer is still no, I can't Script your sword by dawn. However," she interrupted as he opened his mouth, "if you helped, then chances are that we'd be done right on time."

"Can I really?" he queried dubiously. "To be honest with ya, my magic's not all that great."

"You can do it, if you're willing," she reassured. He exhaled and mulled it over for a moment, then she remembered his prior engagement. "Of course, if you're busy, you should get your affairs in order first."

"…Nah, it can wait," he finally decided, crossing his arms over his chest. "Show me the ropes, Shrimp."

She ignored the nickname for once and pointed at a metal basin towards the back of the shop. "Wash your hands there. I'll be back."

"Boss," he acknowledged with a smirk. She went to a back room separated by a curtain. Inside was her gear: several worn tunics and knee-length trousers stained with soot from the occasional spell gone awry. It was the reason she'd rather take her time using Solid Script than just scratch them in and call it a day, especially when she was being given such a small window of time as from Gajeel. Then again, if what he was saying about the dragon was true, then she had to make those Scripts the best yet. She grabbed a pair of aprons and two pairs of thick leather gloves before heading back.

"Put these on," she said, passing a pair over to him. He drew them over his large hands with a scowl.

"What're these for?"

"The magic will heat the sword," she explained. "You need these or else you'll burn your hands."

"Ah. I see." He didn't complain as much with the apron, but his lips twitched when he saw how small it was on his taller, broader figure. He had to remove his armor to even slightly tie the strings, and it hit the ground in a heavy heap. Beneath it, he wore a light, sleeveless tunic with metal rings circling his upper biceps. She noticed how built he was, which made sense considering that he was a swordfighter., and although she'd seen many men like him physically, something about him was more…alluring, maybe? She flushed and turned away before he could notice, grabbing her notebook and pen.

"Okay, let's get started." She ran her hand along the surface of the sword, which was marred with several nicks and burn marks, and took that down in her book. Then she hefted it up from below, mentally calculating the weight, then used a tape measure to get the dimensions. "What are the exact materials?"

"Iron," he said. "It's all iron."

"Got it." She punctuated the end of her sentence with a loud tap for the period. She felt his hand on his shoulder as he leaned forward.

"It all looks like gibberish to me." She blushed heavily and shoved him away.

"Don't look! It's not just sword information that I keep in this book."

"So it's like yer diary or whatever? That's real cute, Shrimp," he grinned. She knew he was just teasing, but nonetheless the "cute" comment made her heart skip a little. "This where the fun starts?"

"First, we have to temper the metal. Iron is strong on its own, but it still has a possibility of shattering," she explained. "Start up the furnace?" He went over to the brick fire pit in the corner of the room and tossed an extra log in, jabbing at it with the steel poker. The flames roared to life beneath the scorched-black cauldron of molten metal. She lifted his sword, shifting it in her grip a little until the pommel was just above her head, and sunk it into the cauldron with a slow _hiss._ "And we wait."

"How long?" he asked, bored.

"Fifteen minutes." Silence fell over them for a moment as they sat back on nearby stools.

"So this isn't yer Pop's place," Gajeel noted. "Then _you_ run the whole op?" She nodded. "What brought it on, if I can ask?"

"I've always been adept at Solid Script, and there aren't many Scripters in Magnolia, so I just…got into it. And you? What made you hunt dragons?"

"There are a lot of bad ones out there," he said plainly. "And they don't all come for tea and cookies, ya know what I mean. Someone's gotta be out there savin' lives."

"And it has to be you?" She was briefly reminded of knights she would always see marching from Crocus, but Gajeel appeared very, _very_ far from one, with his haggard appearance and thinning clothes. "And your friends, I guess?" He gave her a sharp-toothed grin.

"Who else? Gihi." He had a…strange laugh.

"I'm also guessing you're not too well known?"

"The best heroes don't need their names up in lights: We're doin' it for the people 'cause we wanna, not 'cause we wanna be out there."

"That's very noble of you." Well, he was like her knights after all.

"Someone's gotta go out there and keep shrimps like you doin' what they love," he supposed, glancing at her. "Nice, honest business ya have. Don't see too much of those—even the blacksmith tried to rip me off. Tried," he repeated with a feral smile. "But you? Yer a good person. I like ya."

"Cheers," she said with a (thankfully) unflushed smile, nudging his strong arm. "You're a good person too. And it's time to continue." She put on the gloves before drawing the sword, dripping with molten metal, from the cauldron, then moved it to the large basin of water. Steam plumed from the point of contact and bubbles flurried to the surface. Counting to fifteen, she pulled it free and let it run dry before returning it to the table. "Now is the fun part," she repeated his words from earlier with her own smirk. He grinned as she continued, "Hold the grip and channel your magic into it."

"Got'cha." He took the grip in hand and she watched a faint white glow encase his scarred arms and transfer into the sword.

"This will help the Scripts bind stronger," she clarified. Then she rested a palm at the spot just above the hilt, where an odd engraving was. "What does this mean?"

"It's a fairy—there's no real meanin' to it," he mumbled, focused on the task at hand. "For my Guild, Fairy Tail." She knew of Guilds, but not of any in Magnolia, but it made sense when she considered that Gajeel was a traveler. She realized he would be leaving soon and frowned at her fingers, calloused from using Solid Script. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked, startling her.

"Uh, no," she responded hurriedly, reddening to some extent as she retrieved her Gale Force glasses from under the table. With them, she could better see the first set of scripts as she gradually etched it into the sword's warm surface, feeling the metal heat incrementally the more she wrote. "STR" — strength. "DBL" — durability. "FRD."

"What're those?"

"Scripts. Strength, durability, friendship—that's as far as I've gotten. Now we wait a little for them to settle into the sword." She took a step back as the scripts glowed with golden light before seeping into the blade as stones into water.

"Friendship?"

"For you and your Guildmates, so you can slay dragons even better," she beamed. He smirked back, resting his chin in his palm.

"Don't think that's really possible, Shrimp, but good on ya for givin' it a shot."

"Can I hear more about these friends of yours?"

"Well there's Dragneel, a moron with ashes for brains and a bad habit of runnin' into situations with no thought; Wendy, she's little but pretty strong; Sting and Rogue, best friends, got the teamwork of a well-oiled machine; Cobra, who listens in on about every private conversation with no care; and uh Laxus. He's cool," he supposed unreceptively.

"Sounds like an interesting group," Levy observed. He shrugged, but she could see the fondness on his face even as he tried to mask it with a scowl. "You're pretty soft," she giggled. He groused and muttered something that she didn't catch as she went back to the sword. "Three more, and that's the limit. It's an old sword, and I don't want to push it." She continued: "FRP" — fireproof. "SHP" — shatterproof. The last one, she had "bonding" in mind, to make it that as long as Gajeel's will stood, so would the sword. But as she pressed her hand to the scorching metal, her magic seemed to have a mind of its own, and she gasped softly as the runic form of her name poured from her fingertips and onto his Karma Sword.

"There a problem?" he questioned as she leapt back, hands clasped at her chest. She could feel her heart pounding and feel the blush that was so obviously burning on her face, and tried to shake it off to no avail.

"N-No!" she said quickly, passing a hand over the blade. The remaining magic dispelled, leaving his sword with the fresh runic Solid Script burned into the flat. She took it up and rushed it to the basin without looking at him and dunked it in, letting the water cool the building heat before drawing it out and setting it down on the table. "We have t-to wait for the magic to fully settle, otherwise it can explode out."

"This whole thing's a damn waiting game, huh?" he muttered, still eyeing her carefully. She swallowed under his scrutiny and watched him pass a hand over the sword, his eyes broadening fractionally. "That's some strong magic, Levy."

"It gets stronger when…" _When the Caster puts their emotions into it,_ she finished in her head, burying her face in her hands. "If you can keep pouring your magic into it, then the scripts will absorb faster."

"Alright." He sat and continued, his hands glowing softly as he rapped his knuckles against the sword. And for the rest of the night, and until sunrise, they were there, and they talked.

Time seemed to creep up on them, so much that it was a surprise when day broke. Levy blinked tiredly as she rose from her arm—when had she fallen asleep?—and found Gajeel swinging his sword experimentally, a great grin on his face. "Hey, great job! It feels pretty damn good!" he praised.

"Dragon ready?" she asked with a yawn, dusting herself off as she stood. He grinned even wider as he rested it on his shoulder.

"Better than dragon ready. Really, I owe ya, but… Those Jewels were my last," he admitted.

"Then pay me another way."

"Anythin'." She didn't know why the request had come to mind, but it did, and it brought a blush to her face as she voiced her thought aloud:

"The next time you need a Solid Script Mage's work, come to Magnolia, no matter how far you are, and see me again!" _Because I want to see_ you _again._ She screwed her eyes shut at that—why oh why had she actually said it? Then a hand plopped down on her hair, upsetting it from its already-mussed state.

"Got it, Shrimp," he said with a genuine smile. "That's a promise." And Gajeel walked through the door, giving her one last over the shoulder look and a little laugh before going off to slay a dragon.


	3. Hey, Levi-chan

**Hey, Levy-chan**

Feb. 14th — "Matching"

* * *

"Hey, Levy-chan, did you notice that you and Gajeel-san have the same phone case?"

"Really?" Levy looked at her phone case, a simple clear design but with a small bunny ornament chain attached to the corner, and glanced a few seats down at Gajeel. As he showed Natsu Dragneel something amusing, she noticed the same clear case and even the same bunny. "Wow, Lu-chan, you're right. I wonder why a guy like him has a bunny on his phone."

"Maybe you should go investigate?" Lucy suggested with a sly leer. Levy reddened and pretended to be super focused on her homework. It was no little secret between them that she had had a steadily-growing crush on Gajeel since junior high, but always found him…standoffish. "This could be a conversation starter. Come on, be like one of the heroines you always read about!"

"Lu-chan," Levy whined.

"Come on!" she admonished before calling Natsu over. "And bring Gajeel—Levy wants to tell him something!" she added, grinning. Natsu gave her a funny look, but he spoke to Gajeel anyway and the next thing Levy knew, they were coming over. She pretended to be focused on her fingers as Lucy stood from her desk and put her arms around Natsu's neck, kissing him amiably on the cheek, then large fingers were filling up her peripheral, gently bringing her head up. She screamed internally at the feel of his calloused hand on her face.

"So what'cha need to say, Shrimp?" Gajeel's gruff voice came from above.

"I'm not a Shrimp," she mumbled in protest, but she secretly enjoyed her little nickname. "I just wanted to say that…"

"Oh?" Suddenly his tanned fingers clasped around her phone and it was lifted from her hands. She looked up to see him comparing theirs side by side. "We have the same case. Wow."

"I know why I have a little bunny," she said carefully, "but why do you?" He returned her phone with a scowl.

"My little cousin Wendy gave it, and I didn't want her to think that I'd jus' take it and dump it," he explained. Aww, Levy knew he was a softie under his metallic exterior. She hid her grin beneath her hand but Gajeel noticed anyway, and he grabbed her by her blouse's plaid tie to gently lift her from the seat and to eye-level.

"H-Hey! Put me down!" she said in surprise.

"Not until ya tell me what's so damn funny," he grumbled.

"Nothing! Nothing's funny, so drop me!" she demanded, but it didn't hold the same effect with her being up in the air. He gave her a half-grin as he dropped her back onto her behind with a muffled yelp.

"Thought so." And he walked off back to his desk, sitting down heavily and returning to his work. Levy puffed her cheeks out in indignation. The jerk! …But it didn't diminish the feelings she had for him, and she righted her necktie with a smile.

* * *

"Hey, Levy-chan, did you notice that you and Gajeel-san have the same hairband?"

"Really?" she asked, touching the new one she had gotten. It was dark blue and white with pale orange accents, designed in the popular Native American style. She glanced over at Gajeel and confirmed Lucy's words: He had the same hairband holding his unruly black mane from his face with two long, untamable strands on either side of his sharp face hanging down by his ears. She blushed and smiled a little. "I guess so."

"The phone thing bombed earlier, so why don't you try talking to him again?" she continued, furrowing her brows.

"Lu-chan, that was just a few weeks ago. I don't think he'll react any better," she sighed.

"Because you don't take initiative! You're so bold speaking to me, so why not to him?" she probed.

"Because he's, I don't know, Gajeel. I feel like a little bunny rabbit compared to him, and no phone case jokes about that either!"

"Just try! Look, go over!"

"No. He's talking with Natsu again," she frowned, pointing at the two. Natsu was holding out his phone, which was adorned in a flame-decaled case, and they were watching a video with wide eyes. After a while, Gajeel snorted and pushed him off, at which he just started laughing madly.

"Don't worry, he doesn't bite," she said as means of encouragement. "Go on and I'll buy you Kemu Zaleon's new book!"

"…Sure," she finally relented, standing and making her slow way over to the other side of the room. She dodged Erza and Mirajane's passive-aggressive argument and Nav standing like a statue in the middle of the aisle to get over to the two. Natsu looked up at her, sizing her up, which brought a mortified blush to her cheeks. He did it every time, and it was always followed by the same cheesy joke:

"Still not taller?" At which point he burst out laughing. Usually, Lucy kicked the sense from him, but this time Gajeel pushed him off.

"I'm the only one that makes fun of her height," he warned, bringing an even larger blush on her pale face. "So, what's wrong?" he asked as Natsu sulked off.

"I just, uh, we have the same hairband," she murmured, pointing at his. He looked between them, then he smirked.

"Ya copyin' me or somethin', Shrimp?" She shook her head vehemently and he laughed. "Gihi, it's a joke. Good on ya sense of style," he praised, setting a hand on her head and ruffling her hair. She would've been bothered about him not even having to stand up to do it, but she was too busy hiding a massive pleased grin behind her hands as she skipped back to Lucy and commenced fangirlish screaming.

* * *

"Hey, Levy-chan, did you notice that you and Gajeel-san have the same book?"

"Now you're messing with me," Levy said, bookmarking Kemu Zaleon's _Daybreak_ before setting it down on her desk. "Gajeel's not stupid, not at all, but he's not a novelist."

"Check and tell me I'm wrong," Lucy said with a knowing grin, pointing. Levy peeked over her shoulder and saw that she was right: Gajeel was leaning down on one arm as the other held up _Daybreak,_ pierced brows lowered in concentration. Natsu had occupied himself with a mini-fight with Gray Fullbuster in the corner, which Erza worked on separating painfully.

"What?" she cried before her embarrassment could catch up. "Gajeel, are you really reading that?" He blinked a few times before looking at her.

"Ya see me readin' it, don't ya?"

"But why? Do you like reading novels?"

"Not particularly," he replied. "But there's somethin' else I like about 'em."

"What's that?" He didn't respond right away, holding her gaze until she flushed, then smirked.

"The blue-haired Shrimp that reads 'em." And he returned to his book with her turning so red it would surely stain her skin for all time.

* * *

Levy and Gajeel, upon the last day of school in December, did not have the same winter coat. They probably did, but hers was back at home, as she mistakenly believed it would not be too cold by the end of their half-day. She was proven wrong as, when they exited the building and went onto the courtyard, darkened by the cloudy day, it began to snow—the first snow of the week, actually, after a minor heat wave. She shivered once but Lucy picked up on it quickly.

"Levy, where's your jacket?"

"H-Home," she said through chattering teeth. Lucy frowned critically.

"I have my jacket, but it's too cold to help you now," she mourned, glancing at the pink jacket draped over her darker sweater. Levy smiled apologetically as she rubbed her arms up and down, following her friend to the bus stop.

"The bus is always here in about t-ten minutes. I'll b-be fine."

"No, you won't," she protested. "Natsu's not even here to give you his jacket."

"Where is he, a-anyway?" Levy looked around the courtyard filled with idling students but didn't see his telltale pink hair.

"Said he had a doctor's appointment. I saw it coming after his and Gray's fight anyway." She shook her head with a dismayed sigh before returning her worried eyes to Levy as she sneezed. "Levy—"

"P-Please, Lu-chan, you'll miss _your_ bus," Levy reminded. Lucy seemed exceedingly unhappy, but gave her a hug and made her promise to call later as she went to her stop across the school. Meanwhile, Levy sat on the bench and rubbed her arms even harder, furious little white puffs leaving her mouth as her teeth chattered. Nine minutes more, nine minutes…

"Oi, Shrimp, ya tryin' to be a frozen food now?"

"G-G-Gajeel!" she exclaimed as he just appeared in front of her. His hands were jammed into the pockets of his heavy grey jacket and part of his hair was hidden beneath a white skully, the rest fanning out in a wild ponytail with a few stray strands falling over his intense eyes, which were boring into hers at the moment. "I-I, uh—"

"Well?" he probed. She shook her head once then sneezed again, her small shoulders shaking from the action. He rolled his eyes.

"Take it." He stripped away the jacket, leaving himself in a tight grey turtleneck that emphasized his built physique, and handed it over.

"N-No. You'll b-b-be cold."

"Jus' take it before I force it on ya," he ordered. She looked at him and realized that the threat was not made in jest. Sighing in defeat, Levy slipped the jacket on, basking in his warmth that filled the fabric as well as the strong scent of cologne and machine oil.

"Nice," she breathed, smiling softly as she inhaled. He smirked and sat down next to her. "You don't take this bus, do you?"

"I gotta see ya home so I can get my jacket back, right?" he pointed out. "Don't worry, I don't have anywhere better to be."

 _Me neither,_ she thought, looking up at the still falling snow. She rolled up the sleeves and rested her hands in her lap, watching the bus come up from around the corner, and started to stand before a rough hand clamped around her wrist. "Eep!" she yelped in surprise as she was brought around face-to-face with Gajeel with her rear on his lap. Before she could even blink, his lips were against hers. She gasped and he took the chance to deepen it, resting a hand on the back of her head and threading his fingers through the curls. Her heart turned into a machine gun as she gripped his face, trying to match his fervor, and all the while all she could think was _This has to be a dream!_

The bus honked impatiently, startling her, but Gajeel was in no rush. She was the one that had to break away, taking a few breaths past swollen lips before she could work out, "I-I don't want to miss my bus."

"Then don't," he grinned. He got up and marched purposefully onto the bus, Levy following behind him with a quick apology to the driver. They chose a seat in the back, and as she sat down he rested a hand on top of hers.

"How long?" she murmured, looking up at him through her lashes. "How long have you liked me back?"

"Long enough," he said. "But ya only ever talked to Bunny-girl—I couldn't tell if ya felt the same, not until some weeks ago."

"Wow." _Wow,_ her mind echoed, as breathless as she was at the moment. "Lucky."

"Nah," he supposed, "think I'm the lucky one here."

And some years later, they walked down the aisle with matching red roses pinned at their hearts.


	4. Time Lost Can Be Time Well Spent

**Time Lost Can Be Time Well Spent**

Feb 15th — "Longing"

* * *

"Yo, Shrimp."

"Hi," she replied with a smile, holding the Lacrima closer to her face. "Is everything safe over there? You're not jeopardizing yourself by talking to me, are you?"

"'course not. I'm no idiot to spyin'," he scoffed. "Have a little more faith in me, would ya?"

"I do, but Master was really wary about Raven Tail—don't you think it's for good reason?"

"Whatever's the problem, I'm more than ready for it. Don't worry, I'll still be back to mess with ya some more, Shrimp. Gihi." He held up a fist and gave her a cocky smirk before the transmission ended. Levy hummed softly as she set the Lacrima down on the table.

"Feeling some relationship strain?" Lucy asked, sitting next to her. Levy moaned pitifully in response.

"You wouldn't know, Lu-chan. You and Natsu go on missions together all the time!"

"Not really," she amended. "Around the S-Class trials, he starts piling up solo requests, and all night I stay up and worry about him. _Is he okay? Is he going to overwork himself? Will he make it?_ " She nudged Levy gently with her elbow. "I bet you're thinking the same of Gajeel."

"Hmm," she mused sadly. "Do you know how to make it better?"

"How about a lunch date between us? We can stop by Bookland too," she suggested, beaming when Levy smiled. "C'mon, before we have to wade through a Guild fight."

"You've never told me," Lucy remarked, sipping her mango smoothie. Levy looked up from her new Adventure book, something about a man shipwrecking on a cursed island that was really picking up thirteen pages in.

"Told you what?"

"When you and Gajeel became a thing."

"Mm… I'm not sure anymore. It's something that you're not really conscious of until someone points it out, you know? I just remember a lot more touches, and we'd sit together more often—even though Jet and Droy hated it—and just…things like that that turned big. But enough about me! How's your manuscript going?"

"I think it might be ready to submit to a publisher in a few months," she confessed, and both girls spent a moment squealing in excitement over that.

"Remember that I get the first copy, Lu-chan!"

"Of course! I wouldn't dream of giving it to anyone else."

"Not even Natsu?" Lucy scoffed, but her blush gave her away.

"I don't think he reads novels."

"Maybe not, but if it was written by you, you think he'd read it?"

"I don't know… I'm thinking of that _Maya's Forest_ incident," she said, waving Levy off. "That was the last time he ever had an interest, feigned or otherwise, in one of my books."

"I thought he reads your manuscripts all the time?"

"Pssht, yeah, as a joke, him and that stupid cat, because he knows it'll rile me up."

"Well you know how it is: boys often tease the girl that they like," Levy grinned. "That's how it started for Gajeel and I, remember?" Lucy colored even profounder. "But to be honest, Lu-chan," she added, picking at the crust of her cucumber sandwich, "I'm worried for him."

"Don't be! Gajeel is strong—he'll get out of there without a scratch on him, I promise you."

"I don't know, Master Ivan is strong—he _is_ Master's son, after all, so we know he's not a pushover. And there are all these stories going around the Guild about how strong he is—"

"All we can do is believe in the men that we care about," she interrupted, laying a hand over Levi's. "Because if they're anything, they're a couple of powerhouses with blockheads when it comes to their girls."

"That, I'll agree with," she giggled. They had a little more idle chat before Lucy's eyes widened in realization. "What is it?"

"You should surprise him!" she said, taking Levy's hand. "When he comes back!"

"Who? Gajeel?" She rolled her eyes with a smile.

" _Yes,_ Gajeel."

"I don't know what you have in mind." Lucy simply grinned in response.

* * *

The spying mission lasted well into the future, but the day that Makarov announced it a success was one of the greatest in Levy's life. She wanted to invite Gajeel over for her surprise, but she still lived in the high-security female dorms, so she instead considered his house, downtown from Magnolia's plaza. It wasn't anything too special—two bedrooms, one bathroom—but Gajeel wasn't a man of possessions, so it matched him pretty well.

 _"_ _Think bigger, Levy—you're pretty creative when you want to be," Lucy suggested. "You just said that you and Gajeel never had a first date?"_

 _"_ _Well yes, but can you blame us? There haven't been any breaks lately, what with one tragedy happening after another," she pointed out._

 _"_ _Then that's all the more reason to put all your effort in it now! What do you think?"_

She missed him, and she wanted a good way of showing how much she missed him, so she tried for something symbolic. The day Gajeel returned, Levy didn't go to the Guild, instead setting up his surprise in Magnolia Park. She put her trust in Lucy to direct him there upon the evening, and Lucy put her trust in Natsu, then thought better of it and put that trust in Gray. Whoever the end responsibility fell on, she gasped into her hands as she heard the sound of clanking metal approaching down the sidewalk.

"Yo, Shrimp, why was Pinkie pushin' me to come here?" he called, looking around. "Oi, Levy, where are ya?"

"Right here!" she said from a cluster of apple trees and honeysuckle bushes. He came around the corner with a curious brow quirked.

"It's kinda hard to see ya," he commented, looking around. In the dark of the night, his eyes were more of a velvet red than their usual crimson shade. "Usually the lights are on by now."

"I temporarily deactivated the Lacrimas—I've got my own lights for us. Solid Script activate!" She waved both hands as if flattening out an invisible scroll. Suddenly, several small lights lit up around them like fireflies, slowly waving to and fro in the gentle night air as they cast away the darkness between the two.

"Impressive," Gajeel said with a slight smirk, "but why are we here?"

"I…wanted to tell you something." She took a deep breath and thought of Lucy's words. _Whether I care about Gajeel or not, nothing's going to change unless I make it._ As much time as they'd begun spending together, they hadn't had one true romantic moment yet, and though it took a bit of time, she managed to voice her thoughts to him. He listened with a confused but patient expression as she continued, "And that spying mission the Master put you on made me realize something."

"Eh?" He followed her eyes as she turned around, placing a hand against the tree she had been standing in front of the whole time. The rough bark was familiar beneath her palm and she involuntarily shivered, which he noticed immediately. "This is the tree from back then…" He exhaled and shook his head slowly. "Why did you bring me here, Levy?"

"I don't know how Jet and Droy felt, but when you cut through my hands with those iron bolts, it felt like something had been ripped away from me in the most painful way, it hurt so badly." She rubbed her hands absently as she spoke. "And the brand, the Phantom Lord symbol here…" She traced the faint white scar lines with her finger, the reminder of that day that never quite faded. "It just felt…wrong. It hurt in every possible way. And I couldn't fight back then, but afterwards in the hospital, I was seriously planning revenge. I wanted you to have something ripped away from you with some grotesque reminder permanently marking your body." She kept her eyes on the tree as she spoke, and though she felt Gajeel's body heat as he moved closer, he didn't touch her.

"Levy, I—"

"Then things _changed,"_ she said, tone breathy as she whirled around. She had to tilt her head all the way back to look him in his eyes. "We talked, and you saved me over and over again, and I…I realized things had changed, things had changed a lot. And when you started disappearing for those spying missions, back before I knew what they were, I felt something had been ripped away again. My heart." She pressed her hands against her chest, closing her eyes. "You'd taken it with you and it hurt every day I sat in the dorm and thought about you and worried about you. This brand? I had these little conversations over Lacrima, but every time we hung up it just felt insufficient. I…I missed you, to put it in short."

"Levy," he said with a small smile, resting a hand on her shoulder. She leaned into his grip with a grateful smile but didn't stop, the words flowing from her like a practiced speech.

"And it made me realize I don't want you to disappear from me like that again. Not for anything. I know you mess around and call me a Shrimp and do all these little things, but I want bigger things, even if that sounds kind of selfish. I want…" She blushed and attempted to look away, but Gajeel forced her head back with his fingers on his chin.

"You want what, Shrimp?" She blushed even harder at the nickname.

"I want…you, Gajeel." His teeth showed as he tried and failed to swallow a laugh, shoulders shaking. She huffed out a breath and punched his broad chest, only earning herself red knuckles for her effort. "Don't laugh! I'm trying to be—" She didn't get to finish, though, as he pulled her into his chest, one hand in her curls and another on her back.

"I missed ya too," was all he said, resting his chin on the crown of her head. She laughed and nuzzled into his shirt, putting his arms around his waist. "Took ya long enough though."

"Hey!"


	5. Iron Teddy

**Iron Teddy**

Feb. 16th — "Pillow Talk"

* * *

"Mm…?"

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Oi, Shrimp, it's… It's crack-of-ass early in the mornin'."

"I'm sorry, but Jet and Droy called."

"What're they bitchin' about now?"

"I don't know… They were arguing so much I couldn't catch the topic. Eventually one of them hung up. Can you move over?"

"Humph… I'll sort 'em out when I wake up."

"Please don't, Gajeel."

"Oi, yer kinda pissin' me off now. We're together, aren't we? Why we gotta be sneakin' around like _Romeo and Juliet?_ Do I have to hook us up with Friar Laurence to make this work?"

"Aww, you've been reading the books I gave you."

"Mph."

"I'm going to tell everyone, don't worry. I just want to prepare them first. They…wouldn't think much of me being with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm valedictorian and you show up so rarely the registrar doesn't even know you."

"I prefer homeschoolin'. And anyway, what's it matter what those bastards think? We're out here sneakin' around like we really have to dodge our families—speakin' of that, I haven't met yer parents yet, and you've met mine."

"Yes, and your mom's…something special. I told you my parents work a lot—that's the truth. And I do care what they think! Some of them have been my friends since preschool!"

"I'd like to think that I'm jus' as important as yer friends, Levy."

"And you are! It's just, Gajeel, they don't know you like I do. They think you skip school because you don't care, not because you have you protect your mom from your dad; they think you pick fights all the time because you're a delinquent, not because you weren't taught any better; they think you take up stray cats because you want to eat them, not because you're actually jealous of Natsu having Happy."

"I'm not jealous of that pink-haired moron!"

"Okay."

"Tch, whatever. Lily is a better cat anyway."

"But you see my point, don't you? If they could see the same sides of you that I do, nobody would blink twice at the fact that we're together. But as it is, you look like a dick. No offense."

"None taken. It is what it is."

"But I'm going to tell them, I promise."

"Or we could elope."

"Gajeel! I'm eighteen! I still have college to finish!"

"I'm twenty and I have all the skill I need in mechanics. We'll do good."

"Gajeel!"

"Ow! Hey, Shrimp, don't make me fight back."

"I thought you wanted to go to sleep?"

"Hmm… As a matter of fact, I do."

"G-Gajeel! What are you doing? L-Let go!"

"I'm goin' to sleep like ya wanted."

"No, you-you're spooning me!"

"Sorry, yer so small I thought ya were a teddy bear."

"Ga— H-H-Hey! Your chin tickles!"

"Goodnight, Levy."

"I-I can't sleep like this! It's embarrassing!"

"Well get used to it, 'cause for the rest of the week, I'm not gonna take my hands off of ya. Not jus' Jet and Droy, but everyone's gonna know who ya belong to, one way or another. Yer my Shrimp, and by the end of the week ain't nobody's gonna have a doubt about that in their minds."

"Ga-Gajeel! Hey, I know you're not sleeping! Stop it! Gajeel!"


	6. The Not-Angels

**The Not-Angels**

Feb 17th — "Trouble Twins"

* * *

Gajeel didn't like the idea of Levy going on a mission with Lucy and just her, but as long as he refused to go on a mission with Natsu (the prick) or Gray (the naked bastard) he had to deal with something equally as terrifying. So, he sat himself on his couch and made sure the brats' faulty attention was trained on him and him alone.

"Alright, kids, listen up," he started, already breaking off when he noticed Austin's eyes being drawn towards a silver mirror hanging on the wall. He snapped his fingers until the younger twin looked over again with a frustrated huff.

"Daddy, 'm starvin'," he whined, brown eyes squinted with crocodile tears. Gajeel rolled his eyes in response.

"No yer not—you two jus' ate."

"Yeah but that was two million minutes ago!" It was actually an hour ago, but the five-year-old couldn't tell time. Neither could his stomach apparently. But the fridge was pretty damn good at telling time, and at the moment it was peaking Not-enough-food-o'-clock.

"Hush up, Stooge," Angel reprimanded, glaring at him. For her name, she was as ballsy as Gajeel, and with a sharp tongue and sharper teeth to boot. And thanks to the brain surely inherited from her mother alongside her light blue curls and big brown eyes, she had the vocabulary to make a grown man cry. (No, Gajeel _wasn't_ crying that time, he just had some iron fillings in his eyes.) Austin, on the other hand, had the semblance of Gajeel's sharp face beneath the baby fat, and although his hair was a slightly darker blue, it was just as unruly as his old man's. He also had a far bigger craving for iron than his sister, or at least had less self-control.

"Angel, ease off yer brother, would ya?"

"It's not my fault he's a dummy," she proclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. Austin glared daggers into the back of her head while Gajeel wondered how their kids could end up as they did.

"Alright, look: Mom's out, so it's up to me to keep you brats entertained for the day, alright? I'm not gonna hit ya with any rules or nothin', but I'd like that our place stays as clean as it is now."

"But that's not a rule!" With that, Austin leapt from the ground and to the wall right below the mirror. Before Gajeel could intervene, his forehead vulcanized and he slammed it into the wall, creating several miniature cracks but, more importantly, dropping the mirror. He caught it before it could shatter and immediately satiated himself with a huge bite of the ornately-woven silver. While Angel set off to chew his ear off as he chewed the metal, Gajeel just shook his head and wondered how in hell he was going to last another sixteen hours.

* * *

"You're babysitting, huh?" Natsu asked, a slow grin spreading across his face as he looked from Gajeel's narrowed eyes to the ankle-biters literally biting his ankles. He then proceeded to nearly fall from the barstool with his laughter. "Those kids aren't gonna last the day!"

"I know," he said instead of punching Dragneel's teeth in like he wanted. "I was hopin' that yer kid and mines could burn energy off—and with any luck not literally." It was no secret that Astrid, while as beautiful as her mother, was just as much a pyromaniac as Natsu, a fact that the Master's hairline was well aware of. As Gajeel worked on prying the two from his legs, Natsu continued having a ball until Gray thankfully shoved him away.

"Austin likes Bellamy, maybe he'd be a good distraction," he suggested. "And anyway, I need someone to watch him a few minutes. Juvia wants me to run to the market."

"Again? What's she want this time?"

" _Dango_ and wasabi," he said with a grimace. "And of course, she'll change her mind by the time I get there." Gajeel smirked at his dismay.

"Well that's the problem with wantin' to make her yers. Where's yer brat?"

"Should be over there with Elfman." He gestured with his chin to the other side of the guild were Mira and Lisanna were clapping and laughing as Elfman bounced around with the seven-year-old giggling on his large shoulders. Austin detached himself at the sight and ran over excitedly, leaving him with just one. Now, if he could only come up with an apt distraction for Angel, he could go and waste away the remainder of the day at the Guild and essentially come off scot-free.

"Alright, I know I make jokes about you being a Dad and all," Natsu started, wiping his eyes, "but it's just too funny! Like, as much as I've imagined you—not that I make a habit of imagining your face, mind you—it was never like this."

"So, yer point?"

"I'm pretty proud of you, Metal-head." Gajeel raised his brows at the compliment as Natsu grinned.

"Shut it. I don't need yer praise."

"Sure, sure." Gajeel didn't have time to bash in the idiot's face, however, as Astrid came running, growling slightly as she jumped into Natsu's chest.

"Daddy, Bell's mad that I burned his ass!" she scowled. Gajeel looked at Natsu as he chuckled awkwardly.

"Does Bunny-girl know yer daughter talks like that?"

"No, and I'll be grateful if she never finds out." He turned his attention to Astrid, who looked more excited than repentant, and ruffled her hair. It had been shortened to about Laxus' length at her behest, which made it spike slightly from Natsu's genes. "Good job, my little dragon! You're learning well!"

"Come back here, Astrid!" Bellamy called, stomping a foot crossly as a visible wave of cold built around him. His hair, while blue, was closer to Gray's in appearance than Juvia's, and his lean build was also certainly his father's, but he took more to Juvia's Water Magic than Gray's Ice—in fact, from what Gajeel had seen, Bellamy used Ice Magic as his means of "going easy" on another. Astrid stuck her tongue out at him, then flashed her sharp teeth as he hissed in anger. She squirmed in Natsu's grip and he released her, watching with wide eyes as she tackled Bellamy to the ground and had her fist buried halfway into his mouth with one move.

"That's a little demon you're raising there, Dragneel," Gajeel remarked.

"She's a machine trained to snipe any Fullbuster within a thirty-mile radius," he said very seriously. "The one person she can't chew up and spit out is—"

 _"_ _What in the world is going on here?"_

The two children froze, eyes wide and jaws dropped in identical expressions of terror as the Guild doors crept open. Erza was there, decked out in just a silver breastplate, plain clothes beneath, but that wasn't what Bellamy and Astrid were focused on. It was ten-year-old Merlin right in front of her with a plainer but still durable metal top and a double-edged sword clasped to her hip. Her long scarlet hair was pinned back to show the expression of a warrior prodigy that could cause anyone with two balls to wet their pants on sight.

"U-Um, Merlin, we-we were just, uh, messing around," Bellamy said immediately, a nervous smile crossing his face as he pushed Astrid away. She landed on her behind with a _whump,_ shaking her head vehemently.

"Yeah, uh we weren't fighting or nothing, we swear!"

"Humph," she huffed, "That's what I thought." Erza had a gleam in her eyes that was downright creepy as she took her daughter's hand.

"Come on, Lin, let's go see if Mira has any strawberry cake left." Which was an inane thing to say and they both knew it: Although the Guild didn't buy too much strawberry cake, nobody else dared eat it in fear of the two scarlet demoness' wrath if they so thought of it. The Guild members parted like the Red Sea to allow them towards the bar, and as they were treated to their favorite dessert things slowly returned to normal.

"Haven't seen Jellal in a while," Gajeel noted. Natsu shrugged a shoulder.

"I think he's in Bosco? I don't remember."

"Daddy," Angel said, tugging Gajeel's pants. "I'm hungry."

"Alright, we'll jus' go to the—" He cut himself off as he glanced at the Scarlets still occupying the bar and changed his tune. "—the diner downtown. Oi, Austin!"

"Dad, look!" He ran over with a Tiki totem set on his hair, grinning. "Look what Bickslow gave me!"

"One of his creepy dolls?" He wanted to tell Austin to throw it out before it cursed him or something, but he looked so happy he let the matter go. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat."

* * *

It was far easier to deal with the twins with food in front of them. It was actually the one trait they shared, and by far the easiest trait to deal with, unlike Austin's tendency to chomp anything metal (whether it was attached to a body or not) or Angel's mouth (which had gotten him in so much trouble he believed she could've gave Jose a run for his money). They sat together on one booth while Gajeel sat opposite, Angel tossing fries at Austin's head while he worked on ripping a steak apart with his teeth. Gajeel actually found the show pretty amusing.

"Daddy, how come Mama didn't stay today?" Austin asked with his mouth full, barbeque sauce dripping from the corner. Gajeel, unlike him, waited until he swallowed his burger before speaking.

"She didn't want to say it, but she missed goin' on missions, so I chose to stay back while she did."

"And you don't miss going on missions?" Angel pointed out.

"You two are a pretty good mission." He grinned as they groaned, taking a gulp of his beer. "I don't get to spend as much time with ya rug rats as she does, ya know, and there's gotta be someone to help the little prodigy Austin with his Dragon Slayer Magic." He beamed at the praise, eyes sparkling even as he gnawed on his knife. "And Angel can teach me all the words she knows and I don't." Angel smiled, then frowned.

"We know you're a great Daddy, but how come other people still look at you funny?" He sighed, leaning back in the seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well… I wasn't always a great Daddy. I did some bad things before, things you two'll never know if I have a say in it." It wasn't that he wanted to keep secrets from them, but he just didn't want them to give him the same look. From random strangers, it was whatever; from his own children, he didn't think he'd be able to stand himself. It was already bad enough when Levy used to give him that look.

"Daddy!" they complained, but he softened it with a hand on their heads.

"Don't worry, alright? Jus' know that I won't mess up again, not while I need to keep an eye on you two menaces." They pouted but continued to eat anyway. It was the truth in any case: he never planned on going bad, not for any reason, with Angel and Austin and Levy there behind him. He had never imagined himself with a family of his own, and now that he had it, he found it to be at the forefront of his mind most of the time, a driving force in everything that he did. It was amazing how much the three of them changed things, and he wouldn't give them up for the world.

"Home," Austin said quietly, bringing Gajeel's attention back to the two of them. Done with their food, they started passing out where they sat. He glanced out the window from the corner of his eye and noticed that the sun was halfway set—Levy had mentioned a naptime for them around sunset. Going over to pay for their meal, he returned to see them attempting to sleep on each other. He took Angel in one arm, but Austin decided to climb atop his head instead. "Comfy," he murmured into Gajeel's hair, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Yer pullin' my hair, kid."

"Comfy," he repeated, purring contentedly. So Gajeel decided to let him be, and followed that familiar road towards the edge of Magnolia where he lived. Angel nuzzled into the space beneath his chin while Austin clung to him with all the strength of an ape. The contrast between them was so funny he had to laugh aloud.

 _Yup, wouldn't trade 'em for nothin' else in the world._

By the time Levy got back, it was late into the night and the twins were in bed. Gajeel was working on the silver mirror, trying to bend the metal to hide the huge bite mark, until she came in their bedroom with a wide smile. "Had fun?" he asked.

"A lot! And the client was a book lover, so he spared Lucy and me a few new ones!" She clapped her hands excitedly as he chuckled under his breath. "So, how was your day?" she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed. He shrugged a shoulder with a smile.

"Nothin' special."


	7. Sticks I

**Sticks, Part I**

Feb 18th — "First Date"

* * *

One minute and thirty seconds.

 _He'll be here, Levy, stop fretting,_ she told herself, clapping a hand to her cheeks while being careful not to smudge her blush. She stood, paced around the table and endured the other eaters' odd glances, sat, politely refused the waiter saying she was still waiting for her plus-one, paced again, and checked her phone.

Five minutes, fifteen seconds.

 _You're being paranoid now._ She blew a lock of straightened hair away before excusing herself to the ladies' room (to who? She was alone) to fix her styled blue tresses back under Lucy's careful modeling, then smoothing the creases of her ocean-blue cocktail dress and freshening up some sweat-dampened make-up. She rushed back to her seat and sat with her hands between her legs, obstinately refusing to check her phone until a mid-sized family that had arrived before her paid their bill and left.

Thirty minutes on the dot.

"Ma'am, I don't think he's showing up," said the pitiful waiter. She exhaled and scrubbed her eyes with the bases of her palms, giving a weary smile.

"It was a good try anyway. I'll pay for taking up s-space—" She stuttered to a halt as her eyes locked on the restaurant's window, or more accurately the figure behind the glass. He matched the picture Lucy had provided, sure, if she looked past the mud and blood and the shovel in his buff arms. Her mouth was still gaping as she tried to come up with any reason why her best friend in the world would hook her up with a murderer. "I, uh, I err—"

His eyes, which were the exact scarlet shade of blood, met hers, and he raised a hand to crook a finger invitingly. She swallowed and made an instinctive grab for her phone to dial 911, but she got a feeling from his grim expression that the authorities wouldn't be well-received. She collected her affectations and made a hurried exit, and nearly made it across the street before his bulky hand clasped around her dress' straps.

"Where ya think yer goin'?" he asked gruffly. She squirmed as she was lifted a foot off the ground, brought to his eye-level.

"Please don't hurt me! All I have is books, no money—look!" She brandished her purse, intending to distract him long enough to grab at her pepper spray. He snorted and released her, and she hit the ground a little too hard and fell to her knees on the sidewalk.

"I'm not here to rob ya," he said almost derisively. "Yer Levy, ain't ya? I was told by Bunny-girl that ya could help."

"I—what? Who?"

"Bunny-girl. About yea high, blonde, huge tits?"

"You mean Lu-cha—I mean, Lucy?" He nodded, never breaking eye contact. "Wait, help you with what? I thought she set us up on a…on a…" She fiddled with the straps of her bag as she spoke.

"A what?"

"Ah what do you need help with?" she squeaked. He looked away for a moment, flipping the shovel around to jam the tip into the ground with a loud clang.

"My, uh, my cat died," he admitted after a few seconds of silence, blinking heavily. "Hit by a car. I wanted to bury her." Well, that explained the mud and blood.

"I'm sorry." He gave a noncommittal shrug, but she noticed how his scowl was softened a bit by sadness. "If you've already finished, why would you need my help?"

"Bunny-girl said you're smart—I was thinkin' you'd know how to send her off right."

"Wow. I'm flattered, but…" _But I'm still dressed for a date, and standing out here with you looking like you were just "hiding the evidence" isn't helping my image too much. I'm already known as The Girl With No Human Friends, I don't want to be seen as The Accomplice too._ "But I…"

"Please." It looked nearly physical for him to say that, and for a second, she saw past his rough-and-tough exterior and into his misery beneath. His hand was shaking slightly against the shovel's shaft, and it appeared that an extra coating of dirt was smeared against clean streaks beneath his eyes. As much as he tried to appear hard and aloof, she could see that he loved his cat and that he was truly hurting. In that case, how heartless would she have to be to leave him over such selfish reasons?"

"I… It doesn't matter," she said with a comforting smile, rising to her feet. "Where did you bury her?"

"Magnolia Cemetery." She didn't point out that that was for people, instead taking his arm despite the grime caking it.

"Well then, let's go give her a proper send-off!" He smirked a little like that, hoisting the shovel higher on his shoulder.

"Ya know, Shrimp, yer a pretty nice person." Her face flamed at the remark, both embarrassed and pleased.

"I'm not a shrimp! I'll have you know that I'm within the top percentile for heights at my age."

"Ya sure yer not lookin' at the kids' chart?" he teased as they walked down the sidewalk. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a little chilled in the cold night air. The dress was sleeveless, as the restaurant was warm, and she expected that her date would provide a coat, but looking at the dirt stains on his, she was reluctant to ask. "Yer cold?" he asked, glancing at her from the side of his eye.

"What? No!" she said, shaking her head and beaming in reassurance. He snorted through his nose, dubious, but didn't hold the issue. "So," she said into the silence that had befallen them as they passed Magnolia Park, "what…were you doing before your cat was killed?"

"Walking," he said noncommittedly. "Nothin' special. Unlike you, I suppose." He ran a curious eye over her dress while she shrunk into herself slightly.

"I was just, uh, waiting for someone," she said, flushing slightly. "Lu-chan promised me a…a…"

"Date?" he suggested. She nodded and turned away, unwilling to see his reaction. "And lemme guess, I wasn't what you were expecting, eh?"

"I saw a picture of you," she corrected, glancing over at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"And you accepted anyway? A proper-lookin' girl like you with a guy like me?" He said it sourly.

"My parents taught me to never judge a book by its cover. That motto's never failed me once." He sniggered shortly and nudged her with his elbow. She playfully shoved back, at which he let out a loud laugh and pushed her so hard she stumbled slightly, having to regain her balance against a street lamp. "I don't think I've gotten your name," she said, gasping a little in realization.

"Redfox," he said. "Gajeel."

"Gajeel… That's weird." He snorted, then fell silent as they ascended the rising sidewalk. They passed through the open gates of the cemetery and into a field of tombstones, some small and simple and others huge and elaborate. A reverential silence encased them almost with an urge to stop and kneel at every burial she saw. She remembered visiting once before with Lucy on the anniversary of her mother's passing, but otherwise she steered clear of the place. Now, however, she was there with a virtual stranger.

"Right over here." Gajeel's gruff voice burst their bubble as he pointed out a freshly-dug spot beneath the cemetery's pear tree. She knelt alongside him, careful that her dress didn't ride up her legs, and clasped her hands together with closed eyes.

"May you rest in peace," she whispered. She opened one eye and peeked at Gajeel, who was staring expectantly with his face in one hand. "I, uh, it'd help to know more about her."

"Her name was Cupcake," he deadpanned. Levy wanted to laugh but it wasn't warranted. "I see yer face," he remarked a bit sullenly. "My little sister, Wendy, named her. She was seven back then."

"You have a little sister? Can I see a pic?" He nodded once and took out his phone, careful not to dirty it too much as he opened his Gallery and passed it over. She saw a waterpark scene featuring Natsu—Lucy's best friend since childhood and her, ahem, "not boyfriend"—alongside his redheaded dad, Igneel, and a taller and sharper-faced black-haired man with his arms around a beautiful woman with feathery blue hair and sweet brown eyes. Below them, victim to Natsu's arm around his neck, was Gajeel—she tried not to stare too long at his chiseled body—looking like the spitting image of the black-haired man, and in his lap was a small girl with long blue hair and an infectious smile. "Aww, she's so cute! And look at Natsu—he has to be like fourteen here!"

"Fifteen," he muttered, taking his phone back. "I was seventeen."

"But not any less grumpy," she teased softly, earning a short snigger.

"Three months after that, all three of our parents were killed in a car accident." Levy nodded solemnly—she had heard the story already from Lucy, then Natsu in more detail. "We found the kitten some weeks later and Wendy wanted to keep her. I thought, _She could use a little happiness,_ and let her. She loved it like nothin' else, dressing her up for tea parties and taking Cupcake everywhere she went—except school; had a huge argument there—and after a while, I started likin' the little fur ball too."

"She sounded like a little joy."

"She was," he said with a small but sweet smile that heavily contrasted his appearance. She smiled back and gently took his hands, silently noting how small and pale hers were in comparison to his tanned, work-hardened ones, and folded them in prayer before doing the same.

"God, please bless the soul of little Cupcake," she murmured into the wind as it swept past them, bringing with it the scent of stale perfume and turned soil. "She brought joy to the Redfox family after they lost their parents, and especially to a little girl who never should have known sadness at such a young age. Gajeel, too, is hurting, although he won't show it, and he's a nice guy if a little metal-dependent, so please, I ask you to heal the souls of them and allow them to remember their cat fondly rather than in sadness. She has brought a lot of happiness to a family in desperate need of some, and while she's now experiencing that same happiness in Heaven, I ask you to ensure that the family on earth can live their lives to the fullest still. Amen."

"Amen," he repeated, opening his eyes and rubbing them with a grunt. She noticed a bit of wetness before he did, and without thinking she leaned into his side. He coughed in surprise. "What? What are ya doin', Shrimp?"

"Helping," she said. "You needed my help and I'm giving it."

"Yeah, but I didn't ask for—for—" He cut himself off as she turned, resting her cheek against his chest, and somehow her proximity unblocked him, as with a choked sound, he began to cry. He hesitated for just a second before putting an arm around her shoulders, digging his fingers into her head as he hissed behind his teeth, tears streaking through the grit on his face. She let him express his pain wordlessly, until the wind had died down and the groundskeeper was approaching, and with a small noise of surprise he was on his feet.

"Thanks," he muttered, grabbing his shovel and slinging it over his shoulder. He started back to the sidewalk, then turned to her with a half-smile. "Not the first date you expected, eh?"

"Could've been worse," she retorted with a grin. He laughed as he continued, and it wasn't until a long while later that Levy had to explain to a flabbergasted groundskeeper why she was out there in a fancy dress with dirt and dried blood on her.


	8. Sticks II

**Sticks, Part II**

Feb 19th — "Grief"

* * *

 **TWO YEARS AGO**

"Gajeel? That you man?"

"Who else?" he snorted, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking the phone off speaker. Natsu's surprised shout echoed through the lines.

"Wow! I mean, you've been blocking my calls the last few weeks, so I'm just…surprised."

"What do ya want?"

"Well, uh, I was trying to ask if you'd wanna go hang out?"

"Sorry, busy." Natsu groan-sighed.

"You've been _busy_ for the longest time, you know. We've all lost parents, all three of us, and we're trying to be here for each other—"

Gajeel punched the End button and tossed the phone into the corner of his room. Natsu was insufferably positive, even after the fact, and Gajeel didn't think he could stomach it. Not to say he didn't appreciate Natsu's efforts, but they would've gone off better with Wendy, who was younger and much more emotionally impressionable than he.

"Gajeel?"

Speak of the devil. Actually, no, "the devil" was a much better approximation of himself.

"Welcome home," he said, opening the door. She still had her backpack on, the size of which almost dwarfed her small figure. Her long hair hung around her yellow and green-pattered dress and her eyes were wide and focused on him. "I made— Isn't it kinda early?" he restarted, glancing at the clock. "Yeah… Ya have school for another hour."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, ducking her head. All at once, he understood.

"'s okay." He put a hand on her shoulder and let her bury her face into his denim jacket. "Jus' watch the truancy, alright? Ma always said yer a smart little girl—it'd be a shame to see ya get kicked outta school."

"I'm trying, but it's hard," she whimpered into the fabric. "Little things make me remember them…"

"I get it. I'll just call the school later, get the work that you missed." She nodded as best she could in her position.

"Thank you, Gajeel…" He hesitated as she sniffled, shifting his hand to her head and gently caressing the hair so much like their mother's. He started to speak, stopped, then began again:

"Let's go get ice cream, huh?"

* * *

Despite Gajeel being eighteen—old enough to assume guardianship—he still felt the weight of assumed parenthood heavy on his shoulders. It was, of course, on top of the burden of anguish, sometimes hanging like a cloud so thick around him that he could barely breathe. He had his moments, albeit few and far in between, and tried his hardest to hide them from Wendy to appear like the strong older brother figure she needed, but it was hard.

He remembered how, when he was called out of school to receive the news some weeks ago, he completely flipped. It didn't make sense in the slightest: the one day that the trio drove out together was the same day a sleep-deprived garbage truck driver did his rounds? It sounded like something from a bad novel, but things were cruelly proven real. He remembered fighting for a while, dealing blows and taking them to let the numbness wane in favor of adrenaline, but even the best things were only temporary.

"You know," Natsu had said as they sat on the steps of Kardia Cathedral, his blazer on the stone and his tie yanked loose, "I keep thinking that this is a huge nightmare, that I'll wake up any second with Igneel shoutin' in my face that I'm late for school."

"Gone are those days."

"You're tellin' me." He blinked rapidly, then wiped an arm across his eyes with a growl. "Damn it… Why now, huh? I'm not even eighteen yet and I already lost my old man. Igneel told me he wouldn't die until I did!"

"Well, things happen, Natsu," Gajeel said.

 _Things happen…_ What a gross summary of the most tragic event of his life. _Things happen_ was what someone said when they couldn't take their kid to the fair, or when they couldn't afford a toy; _things happen_ wasn't reserved for real deaths, important deaths. Those two words weren't nearly enough to cover Wendy's sleepless nights or his own or Natsu's, although he'd die before he'd admit it. But thing, once they hit rock bottom, could only get better, and while the ascent was slow, he made progress. _They_ made progress.

"This is so good!" Wendy gushed as she ate one of the wafers in her mint chocolate chip cone. He chuckled as he walked with her down the sidewalk, heading to their apartment down the block. "Wanna try some?"

"I'm not a big fan of sweets."

"Aww," she complained. "You and Natsu are so weird."

"Says you." They passed an alley, where Wendy instinctively huddled closer and away from the blotchy shadows, when a weak mewl caught their attention. A small white and orange kitten padded up to Wendy, pawing at her leg. She cooed softly and knelt down to feed it a wafer, which it took gratefully.

"Aww, Gajeel, she's so tiny," she said, taking up the kitten. It purred and rubbed into the crook of her neck. "Can we keep her, please?"

"I dunno, the landlord's not all that happy about flea-infested—" Then the cat did what most grown men feared to even think about: It jumped from Wendy's arms to his shoulder and cuddled up to his face, purring consistently.

At that moment, Gajeel realized his passionate love for cats. (Privately, of course; if Natsu, who'd had a blue-dyed cat since childhood, realized that Gajeel's taunting of him for said cat was out of jealously, he'd die a shamed man.)

"I'll call her Cupcake," she decided, beaming as the kitten hummed enthusiastically and curled up in her lap. The name broke Gajeel's reverie somewhat, but he smirked and ruffled her hair anyway. It was the happiest he'd seen her since they lost their parents, so who was he to ruin it?

"That's a kickass name there, Wendy."

* * *

"A cat, huh?" Natsu hummed as he shut the front door behind him, ignoring Gajeel's scowl as Cupcake curled about his neck like a scarf. (Not that he was complaining, as it was winter.) "Ah, who was it that always joked about Happy again? I forget."

"You'll be forgettin' yer name when I'm done poundin' ya," he cautioned. Natsu grinned at the sound of a fight, fists up. Lucy sighed as she stepped between them, holding them at arm's width.

"What are you two, children?" she chided. "Grow up already!"

"Says the one that still wears bunny pajamas," Gajeel retorted. Lucy flushed a deep scarlet as she went to change, disappearing into Natsu's room and locking the door. Meanwhile, Natsu sat with Gajeel on the sofa, kicking his feet up. Gajeel noticed the remains of lunch there alongside a few bags of potato chips. "I woulda thought you'd drown in junk by now."

"I would've, but Lucy's pretty good at cooking, so I don't mind eating healthy crap now," he confessed. "It's a step up from Dad always buying takeout anyway." They paused to sit on that, the air growing heavier. "It still feels like yesterday, not like two months've passed. You still hanging on all right?"

"I think… I'm doin' better," he said. "But sometimes…ya know, sometimes, I just wanna hear my old man's voice again." He turned away, feeling cold despite Cupcake's warm body.

"I get you."

"And I see Mom's smile all the time in Wendy, and sometimes I jus' can't stand it. Ain't that somethin' else? Can't stand the look of my own sister's face. It hurts right here," he gripped the fabric of his t-shirt around his heart, "and it jus' gets worse and worse until I can't stand it."

"Gajeel…" Natsu grasped his shoulder gently. "Things are gonna get better, I promise."

"I wish," was all he said.

Down the hall, he heard Natsu's door, which had been ajar for a while, close once more.

* * *

 **PRESENT DAY**

Gajeel unlocked the door to his apartment to find something baffling: Wendy, who had been in another stretch of grief after Cupcake's slaughter, was giggling madly. Curious, he dropped his backpack and went to her room, leaning in the doorframe. She was on the floor and reaching for something under her bed.

"What are ya doin'?" he asked. She glanced at him and straightened, her back unusually stiff and hands on her bandaged knees. He recognized it as her guilty pose.

"Gajeel, a present came for us," she started. He raised a brow and looked towards her bed.

"And it's under there?" Answering his question, an adult cat slid out from the darkness and carefully approached him. It was jet-black with a grey mouth and paws and had a scar across its face. Its blue collar had the name PANTHERLILY. _I see why,_ he thought—it looked like a miniature panther. "Ya said it's a present?"

"Uh-huh. He came with a note…" She grabbed a piece of ornate stationary from her bed and handed it over. He flattened it out and was immediately blindsided by the familiar perfume scent on it. He hadn't smelled it in a couple of weeks, not since he buried Cupcake…

"Dear Gajeel and Wendy," it read, "I know this cat won't replace Cupcake, but at least you won't be alone with your grief this time. I thought that since you've lost a lot already, it would do you two some good to gain something for once, so you've both gotten a present here: Wendy gets a new cat, and Gajeel can get a number from nobody special. Regards, Levy." And below that calligraphy handwriting was a phone number—her phone number, by the sound of it.

 _Nobody special? What an understatement,_ he thought with a snort, rolling his eyes slightly. _Shrimp's pretty special, whether she thinks it herself or not. Actually, that's probably why Bunny-girl brought us together in the first place… She thought Levy could help me._ And she wasn't wrong.

"Why are you smiling?" Wendy probed. "Can I…keep him?"

"I'm not gonna stop ya," he grinned, ruffling her head. She pointed at the letter.

"I called to say 'thank you,' and a girl answered. Is that your girlfriend?" He flushed a little but hid it with a snicker.

"Nope, she's not." _Let's see if I can change that._


	9. The Same Toothbrush

**The Same Toothbrush**

Feb 20th — "Marriage/Living Together"

* * *

Things are funny now, and not in the way that she wants to laugh. Little things that Levy has never taken notice to have become big, the source of several problems daily, and it makes her nervous.

She never took into consideration what could have changed when Gajeel proposed. It was seemingly on-the-moment, a little after they were restored from their stasis on Tenroujima, but not with any less love than there ought to have been, and she was hysterical as she accepted. The wedding was supposed to be small, but someone (probably Mira) leaked it to the Guild, and although it required the Council to break it up, it was fun having all her family there in the best day of her life.

Since Levy still lived in Fairy Hills, they found it reasonable that she should move into Gajeel's apartment in downtown Magnolia. Things seemed reasonable then, but quickly escalated:

His bed, while comfy, is sort of small for two people, even if one is half the size of a normal person, and she always wakes up with muscle cramps. His sheets, too, smell kind of stale. They aren't dirty or old, but the smell just sticks to them, like how old people had a specific smell to them. She couldn't help thinking of it every time they went to bed together, but always felt sort of shy to bring it up.

Also, their clothes got mixed up a lot. His closet was small too, and so there wasn't enough space to properly divide them. When rushing, sometimes she would accidently grab one of his shirts and drown in it, or he would pick up her shoes by mistake and trip onto his face. Not to mention when Gajeel does laundry and forgets that he is doing women's clothes and tosses in her underwear with his bloodstained shirts. He also has no white clothes and always forgot that whites don't mix with colors, and led to her having to explain red-faced why her shirt is suddenly tie-dyed.

It still happens often that they forget they're living together and one of them goes out and buys food for just the one, meaning a lot of double trips to the market for extra supplies. There also had to be a lot of recipe adjusting, as Gajeel didn't like his foods as mild as hers, and Levy didn't prefer so much, ahem, iron in her diet.

Bathrooms are a subject she wishes she doesn't have to breach anytime soon.

"Sounds like a hassle," Lucy comments. Levy nodded with a pitiful sigh. "And it's only been, what, five months?"

"It feels like longer." She had to ensure no Dragon Slayers were within hearing range before speaking, which was a hard feat to manage, but all Lucy had to do was start a fight between their significant others. Like that, they wouldn't hear a volcano erupting. "I love Gajeel, I really do, but living with him feels sort of impossible."

"Maybe you're not trying hard enough?"

"I'm trying!"

"Okay, okay… I don't know what to tell you, Levy-chan, other than stay patient. Things weren't great for Natsu and me at first either, but they got better."

"I don't know, Lu-chan."

"Just trust in your relationship. If you do that, you'll pull through," she said encouragingly.

The breaking point for her is the toothbrush.

"Gajeel, that's mine!" she cried, coming into the bathroom and snatching it from his hand. He spits the foam from his mouth and wipes it on a towel.

"So? I don't see the big deal." His hair is in a ponytail and he's wearing a loose shirt with the sleeves rolled up and sweatpants. He looks so normal, like this is a casual matter, and that annoys her a little.

"It's— It's _my_ toothbrush, that's the big deal!" He raises his eyebrows and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Why're you makin' such a big fuss over this, Shrimp?"

"Because!"

"…'cause what?"

"Because the bed!" His eyes widen slightly with curiosity but Levy is on a roll. "Because the bed and the closet and with meals and laundry and — and _especially_ the bathroom! Just — not my toothbrush too."

"Ah," he says blandly. "Ya regret movin' in with me?"

"No, no, it's not that!" she protests vehemently. "It's just that things are changing a lot and in little time, and I don't feel like I can keep up…"

"I see." He sounds a little less stricken, but still suspicious. She takes a step forward and grasps one of his hands with both of hers.

"I mean it, Gajeel." He searches her eyes for a moment in silence, causing her heart to accelerate, then sighs.

"Let's use the same one."

"Huh?"

"We'll use the same toothbrush. It'll make things a little easier. Alright, Shrimp?" He rests his hand on her head and gives a half-smile. "We're a team now, so don't ya go and suffer in silence. Somethin's wrong, ya tell me straightaway, 'cause I don't wanna see you upset." She blushes and smiles back. "That's how this whole _being married_ schtick works, isn't it? We talk, we compromise, we work together."

"That's right, yes."

"So don't go and clamp up on me now, especially when you ain't have a problem mouthin' off to me before this was here." He twines their fingers and lifts her hand, showing the golden band around her ring finger. She laughes a little in response.

"The same toothbrush," Levy agrees. "There's a start."


End file.
